Automotive Guilty Pleasures

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TexRex
However you feel about it, you're right.
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I think it's because its contemporaries weren't all that great themselves and the scalloped nose was just a little bit Fiat Dino and the body was almost a precursor to the Lancia Delta with the bold d-pillar.
 
VXR
I think it's because its contemporaries weren't all that great themselves and the scalloped nose was just a little bit Fiat Dino and the body was almost a precursor to the Lancia Delta with the bold d-pillar.
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Okay so you lose me a little bit here. A car that breaks down a lot isn't mechanically sound simply because its contemporaries also break down a lot, so why would an ugly car (I'm not saying it's ugly, per se, just offering that word as one end of a spectrum) be attractive because its contemporaries are also ugly?

Or perhaps you're playing devil's advocate even to yourself, trying to justify liking it. And to that I again offer up my previous assertion, which is that however you feel about it--whether you like it or not, or find it handsome or not--you're right.

Edit: Aaaaand I think I've just shot the legs out from under this thread. If you're right for liking something, it's not a guilty pleasure but simply a pleasure. 🤬 what others think!

:lol:
 
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True enough. I had actually only thought about it when you posted it, hence my hot take. It's been a while since I saw a nicely modified wagon somewhere online and I then recalled I'm quite partial to them. A restomod one could be a nice little thing to run.
 
With a larger engine bay, taller standard tires and [perhaps most critically] more space ahead of the front axle centerline, the Allegro would arguably be a much better candidate for a contemporary powertrain swap than a Mini, with whom it shares its drivetrain configuration.

You can also go nuts.
 
VXR
I think it's because its contemporaries weren't all that great themselves
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Its contemporaries included the Volkswagen Golf, Alfasud, Renault 5, Citroen GS and Mk1 Civic.

So... I disagree quite considerably.
 
Guilty pleasure time again:

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First-gen Mercedes B-class. Kinda dig the way these look, for some reason - I think Merc's design language at the time suited a boxy shape like this, and on the road they look chunkier and wider than they do in pictures.

Never driven one of this gen, only the second-gen, and that was awful, so it's difficult to imagine these being better. But I do think the first-gen looks better than the blobby second-gen. And if I can give the second-gen any praise at all, it was that I once rode in a B-class taxi in Germany with something like 350,000km on the clock and it still felt virtually like new. I think even by the first-gen Merc was starting to figure out build quality again.
 
GranTurNismo
The 3rd-gen Dodge Ramcharger, which was sold only in Mexico, would count as one of my guilty pleasures. I'm surprised Dodge never offered it in the states. The "cab-forward" era Ram actually looks quite good as a 2-door SUV.







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It would have competed with Durango, it apparently was quite bad on fuel mileage so their CAFE number would have been hit, and by this point, people weren't buying 2-door SUVs. The Bronco had already died, and the Tahoe/Yukon ones were dead after '99.

It does look nice, though the more I look at it, the more it looks like it was fused together at the b-pillar. The window and black part on the door do not work together somehow.
 
Merkur. The whole brand. That is to say, the XR4Ti and the Scorpio. But all the same.
1985-1989-Merkur-XR4TI-front-three-quarters-promo.jpg

Europe may have gotten the bulk of the cool 80s and 90s fords, but at least we got the Sierra! There is one for sale fairly locally. I am posting a car up for sale now, so long as that sells and we close on selling our house (looking like next week) if that car is still for sale I am all over it. This is a car on my bucket list, and one of the few in that list I can actually afford in any sort of good condition.
 
Thought of another guilty pleasure of mine, the Escort ZX2:

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I've always quite liked small coupes, and as someone who lives in the UK the ZX2 had the added bonus of being forbidden fruit, as our Escort was a very different vehicle. I found the curvy 1990s styling interesting - it's so characteristic of that era of American cars - and the interior got the same ovoid theme that Ford was using heavily over here too.

Given it was basically at the bottom of Ford's product range in the 90s too, it had affordability on its side, and I've long had a soft spot for affordable cars. Can't beat a 1990s golden-hour promo shot, either.

Bonus articles on Motor Trend and Grassroots Motorsports.
 
homeforsummer
Thought of another guilty pleasure of mine, the Escort ZX2:


I've always quite liked small coupes, and as someone who lives in the UK the ZX2 had the added bonus of being forbidden fruit, as our Escort was a very different vehicle. I found the curvy 1990s styling interesting - it's so characteristic of that era of American cars - and the interior got the same ovoid theme that Ford was using heavily over here too.

Given it was basically at the bottom of Ford's product range in the 90s too, it had affordability on its side, and I've long had a soft spot for affordable cars. Can't beat a 1990s golden-hour promo shot, either.

Bonus articles on Motor Trend and Grassroots Motorsports.
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Always had a weird liking towards the ZX2. I find that the Youtube channel Gears & Gasoline did a pretty tasteful job of one.
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I know the Nissan Elgrand's been mentioned here before, but I always thought about the fourth generation (North American) Nissan Quest. Not so much that it's a good car, but there's always a part of me that thought about getting a North American Nissan Quest and swapping the front clip from a Nissan Elgrand.
2016-Nissan-Quest-in-White.jpg.ximg.l_full_m.smart.jpg


Not the most tasteful modifications to plenty of people here, but there was a Canadian tuning shop that did swap an Elgrand front end onto the Quest.
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Not sure how much of this counts as guilty, but I do feel it about one of the least liked modern Porsches made. I've been growing to like the first generation Porsche Cayenne. I know plenty of people thought it was ugly when it came out, and I won't argue that it's pretty. I'd consider posting it in the ugly, but appealing thread or the unpopular opinion. The newer Cayenne's seem just softer, but there's something tough about the first generations more boxy look.
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It looks even better when modified for offroading.
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Those Borbet A's are certainly period-correct, but the size and tyre fitment are too modern IMO. Colour and wheels aside, that's actually a pretty standard GT/E apart from the extra lip on the front spoiler.
 
MedigoFlame
Not sure how much of this counts as guilty, but I do feel it about one of the least liked modern Porsches made. I've been growing to like the first generation Porsche Cayenne. I know plenty of people thought it was ugly when it came out, and I won't argue that it's pretty. I'd consider posting it in the ugly, but appealing thread or the unpopular opinion. The newer Cayenne's seem just softer, but there's something tough about the first generations more boxy look.
2006-Porsche-911-Turbo-S-28.jpg


It looks even better when modified for offroading.
20180928-_AVP4438.jpg
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I was following one the other day and thinking how old it looked. The massive square slabs (from behind anyway) of rear lights, and the complete lack of an individual character. Sure, the Cayenne succeeded in its mission, and I think the current cars are really nicely resolved. But that first gen car (to me at least) looks leaden and unsorted. Like a 911 that's gone on a three year competitive eating bender.

So I suppose I'm adding weight to your assertion that liking it is a "guilty" pleasure. :)
 
I know not many would know about Proton, but at least I think people would know whose Geely is? Yes, it's the Chinese car company. Geely acquired Proton some 2 years ago and one of their SUV called Geely Boyue is rebadged to Proton X70. In my whole life I thought I would never liked an SUV, let alone a Chinese made car. But here I am :lol:

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To be frank, I'm extremely surprised with how it drives, the power that it delivers and even the build quality! It has tons of features from Proton themselves, Geely and Volvo (since Geely also owns Volvo) but priced way lower than its class rival such as the Honda CR-V or the Mazda CX-5. Among the highlights are live 360 camera that even the low-mid spec BMWs don't come with it, and a 7 Speed DCT! A lot has been sold here with barely any complaints. Now I'm really tempted to get one!
 

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